Amateur Athlete: Disc Golfers Return to Mt. Shasta's "Epic" Course

An 18-hole course that features 1,000-foot approaches and elevated tee boxes on every hole, Mt. Shasta's disc golf setting is one of a kind.

Posted: Aug. 10, 2018 9:10 PM

Posted By: Jake Garcia

SHASTA—After an eight-year layoff, disc golf has returned to Mount Shasta.

The 2018 Shasta Shootout drew talented players from across the west coast and gives every reason to check in on the state of the sport.

"The beauty of the sport is I can play nine holes or 100 holes and if I had one disc it didn't cost me anything,” said course designer Jeff Lee.

"The same idea as golf, the same mindset, playing against yourself and the course," said 14-year disc golf veteran Les Swift.

The renewed partnership between Mount Shasta and the disc golf community brought the mountain its 12th tournament ever—great news because while disc golf exists in southern Oregon, it doesn’t in a setting like this.

"The course is epic and when people know the course is back on they'll show up," Lee said.

Lee designed the original Mt. Shasta course and this year’s as well with the blessing of new ownership.

It’s just as much hiking as it is frisbeeing, and elevated tee boxes on every hole encourage the golfers to let it rip.

"This really is very unique in the fact that it's elevation golf, you're playing downhill," he said.

The course attracted Robert Piña and Les Swift, both of whom made the two-hour drive from southern Oregon to northern California.

Swift set out to take down misconceptions of the sport.

"A lot of people just think it's a lot of long hairs going out and throwing Frisbees, who don't play golf like golf was intended," he said.Piña posted a 3-under front nine score—enough to make golfers of any ilk jealous.

Lee meanwhile is just happy discs are flying again on the mountain.

"We have something special here because this really is a beautiful place to spend a day,” he said.